The line-up of vessels to load sugar in Brazil's ports increased to 21, up from 19 a week ago, shipping agent Williams said on Thursday.
In a weekly report, Williams said two vessels were lined up in the port of Maceio and four in Recife, compared with two and three last week, respectively.
In the southern port of Santos, there were 11, the same as last week.
The harvesting of another forecast record cane crop started in March in Mato Grosso and Parana in the key centre-south region.
Santos accounted for 55 percent of sugar tonnage being loaded in Brazilian ports, Recife 15 percent and Maceio 9 percent.
CORN VESSELS: The line-up of vessels to load corn at Brazilian ports fell to four, down from a count of 12 two weeks ago, as soyabean shipments increased and took priority, a Sao Paulo-based brokerage said on Thursday.
The four vessels will load a total of 173,600 tonnes of corn, down from 432,350 tonnes loaded in early April and 1.33 million tonnes loaded in late February.
Paranagua port's return to normal operations after a strike helped to reduce the line-up.
Local prices for corn are more attractive than export differentials at the moment, as winter corn crop prospects have been reduced by bad weather.
Brazil is harvesting soyabeans and has finished the harvest of the main summer corn crop. Winter corn planting is finished in the main producer, Parana state, where initial crop development has been poor due to lack of rain.
Brazil has shipped 2.55 million tonnes of corn so far in 2004.